The Short End of the Stick
by EmpressGalaxia
Summary: Ryoko's POV. Tenchi's finally made a choice about who he wants...>^..^
1. Default Chapter Title

The Short End of the Stick

A Fanfic by EmpressGalaxia

Owning characters. Hahahahahahaha. Yeah, right.

When I think about it, I don't even like the taste of alcohol. But it sure as hell blasts away the real world, which I dislike even more. Fake people trying to be interesting who come across as boring and stupid, that's what makes up the real world. Frankly, I'd love to kill one a day. But I suppose that's the "old me" talking. Whatever that means.

I throw the empty bottle off of the roof and wait to hear the smash of glass against the ground. I hear nothing. I peer over the side and see that it landed on a soft mound of grass. Great. I can't even destroy inanimate objects now. I'm sure I couldn't even go back to being a space pirate. I'll go knock on Kiyone and Mihoshi's door now and hand myself over. I'm sure in prison I at least have a reputation.

Teleportation is a very excellent quality to have. It allows me to go to the kitchen and return to the roof without waking anyone. They tell me how much they hate that I drink, and then they keep the house stocked with sake. Crazy.

Or maybe that's what I am. I'm the one on the roof, drunk, all because of him.

Tenchi Masaki. Not an impressive name. Who knew I would fall in love? Love. Hell. What a shitty emotion. Anger, anger accomplishes things. When I'm angry, I can attack. I can do something about it. What do I do about love? I'll tell you what I do: I dress up, I follow, I bare my feelings, I protect. And then I get up on the roof and get drunk. Thrilling. 

Of course, she's in love with him, too.

And apparently, he's in love with her. It certainly wasn't a friendly kiss they shared. 

Damn you, Aeka. Damn you to Hell.

Not to say it wasn't fun. All the times we fought, we were a perfect combination; I was strong offense, you had great defense. We couldn't hurt each other physically, and emotionally, our barbs were equal. No one won. 

Until now. Well, bully for her. The best girl won.

But I always at least thought I had a chance. She was just a pretty little princess. She had no great skills, no great body, and she was certainly the snootiest little bitch I've ever seen. Me? I'm a glamourous criminal; I've got a body, I'm funny, I've seen the universe, and I'm powerful. What man could ask for more?

He could. The one man I don't want to ask for more.

Damn you, too, Tenchi.

Oddly enough, my thoughts turn to Hotsuma. All right, maybe he didn't _love_ me, but he certainly got closer than anyone else did. Maybe if I had gotten my mind off of Tenchi and taken a few romps with him, he wouldn't have tried to kill me. I know I certainly wouldn't be in this situation if I had left Tenchi dearest.

I can't even get the sight out of my head. Aeka was supposed to be helping Tenchi sweep up the cherry blossoms on the ground. I figured it would look good if I helped, so I went out back in search of them. All I found was two brooms on the ground. And Aeka against one of the trees. And Tenchi against her, lips together, his hands on her face. He was holding her so gently, as if she would break if he did anything further. Heh. She probably would. Delicate little porcelain doll Aeka. Fragile little princess Aeka. 

Why couldn't I be delicate little Ryoko? Why couldn't I be his princess? Didn't I try hard enough, Tenchi? Did I do something wrong, Tenchi? Or have you known all along that you love her more than me, and you've been stringing me along? Damn you, Tenchi!

I make sure I hurl this empty bottle to the ground now. It smashes beautifully. I don't care who I wake up at this point; none of them would care. They've seen me drunk before, and they expect this now.

Would this hurt as much if he had chosen Mihoshi or Kiyone over me? I somehow doubt that, believing that it hurts because Aeka is my main enemy out of this motley group. I don't even think it hurt this much when I saw him kiss Sakuya. And that _hurt._ I don't even have words to describe this.

"Ryoko?" It's Tenchi. He heard my bottle, and he probably wants to send me to bed, like a child. Bah.

What do you want?

"What are you doing up this late?" He barely misses stepping in the broken glass. After staring at me for a moment, he joins me on the roof. "Why do you like coming up here?"

The solitude, I answer. It's hard being alone with your thoughts in that house.

"I can understand, Ryoko, believe me," he laughs. It's such a musical laugh. I always love making him smile. He's so handsome. I can't believe I'm still thinking things like this. "You're pretty quiet this evening, Ryoko."

I saw you, Tenchi.

"What do you mean?"

I saw you and Aeka in the cherry blossoms today.

Silence. "Oh," is his reply. "Ryoko, I-"

Don't explain. It's your life, live it how you want. I speak slowly, partly because I'm trying not to cry and look completely pitiful in front of him, and partly because I don't want to slur my speech. I wonder why I still care what he thinks.

More silence. "No, you deserve an explanation."

No one deserves anything but a good, swift kick in the pants. 

"Just listen." I nod. "It was a sudden thing. I was watching her sweep the blossoms, and I just thought about how beautiful she was, and-"

You certainly know how to make a woman feel special, Tenchi.

"Ryoko, I didn't mean--" He sighs. "This hasn't been an ongoing thing if you were wondering."

I was.

"All right, now you know it wasn't. It just happened today. And this doesn't mean that I don't love you, it just means that..."

We can still be friends.

"Exactly."

I suddenly wish Tenchi had brought another bottle with him. I'd break it over his head.

"Ryoko, I do love you. This is a battle that's been going on inside me for what seems like forever. You don't know what it's like to have so many people fight over you."

Gee, thanks.

"Oh, you know what I mean!"

I sigh. Yes, yes I do know. I suppose it's been just as hard on you as it is on me, right?

"Yes."

All right, so what does this mean for us? Do you want me to leave, or...

"I don't know, Ryoko. I don't want you to leave; I've grown accustomed to your being here. But I don't want to cause you pain by seeing Aeka and I together all the time."

It's a little too late for me to be pained by seeing you and Aeka together.

Silence again. Both of us stare up at the sky. I laugh bitterly, At least she's real.

He laughs the same way. "I suppose."

I love you, Tenchi. I love you the same way Aeka does.

"I love you, too, Ryoko, just not the way I love Aeka. Aren't you at least glad I've made a choice finally?"

I suppose, but whenever I envisioned you making a choice, you always picked me.

I haven't told him yet that I plan on leaving Earth as soon as I'm sober. He'd only convince me to stay. There's no need for me here; to watch him play house with Aeka all day could only drive me insane. And if I have anything left, it's my sanity, I guess. That, and an ability to teleport, which I use to grab another bottle. When I reappear, Tenchi is looking around, trying to find where I've gone. I shake the bottle in front of him to silently tell him I took a trip to the kitchen.

He promptly grabs the bottle away from me. "No. I don't want you to drown out this conversation."

I'm drowning out my sorrow, not this conversation, idiot. I remember everything you say to me, don't you know that?

"You do?" he asks. His eyes look sorry, embarrassed. While he's distracted, I grab the bottle back.

I _need_ this.

He grabs it again. "No, you don't."

True. I need _you_, but I can't have you, so this'll have to do.

"No, Ryoko, you don't need either one. You're an independent woman. What happened to the space pirate we know and love?"

The space pirate you know and love has always been a drunkard. Give it back, dammit!

I don't want to hurt him over a bottle of sake. Why won't he just give it back?

"Ryoko, you've had plenty already tonight. For me, don't have any more."

For you? For _you_! I've spent all of my time on Earth doing things for you, and look what it got me! Now, I'm back to doing things for me, and that includes drinking myself to death, if I please!

This is where the fool surprises me.

He kisses me. Not a friendly peck on the cheek, not a quick friendship kiss on the lips, but a deep, soulful kiss. Neither of us pulls away, and I feel his hands on my cheeks. For this moment, _I'm _his fragile doll. His princess, Ryoko.

After letting it go on for a few moments, we both slowly pull away. It happened. It finally happened. We kissed. None of it was forced; we kissed like normal couples do. Unfortunately, I'm far from normal, so my first words after it, when our faces were millimeters apart, are:

What the hell was that for?

"I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do that."

Don't tell me that. Tell me you love me and that was a goodbye kiss before you marry Aeka.

He stands up in frustration. "That's the problem! Even if I try to choose one of you, I _still love the other_! I hate this! I thought I finally had everything worked out! I had picked a girl, and my life was fine! But now...now..."

You've picked a woman and you're life's topsy-turvy once again?

He shoots me a look. "In a sense."

I sigh and walk to the area of the roof over my room. I'm going, Tenchi. I'm leaving Earth. 

"Why? Is it because of me?"

I smile. Everything I do is because of you, Tenchi, haven't you gotten that yet? I wave good-bye and start to sink through the roof to my room.

My feet have only gone through when he runs over and grabs hold of me. He starts sinking through the roof with me. Once we're in my room, I ask, What do you think you're doing?

His reply is another kiss. And another, and another, and another. We fall onto my bed and do the worst thing possible for a pair trying to break off a relationship.

We make love.

It was exquisite for a boy who wasn't entirely sure of what he was supposed to do. I had to help him along in some areas, but once he got the gist of it, it was superb. Afterwards, I watch him sleep. You idiot, I whisper, why did you have to go and do that? 

When I'm sure he's asleep, I get up and pack some things. I'm still leaving. I can't do this forever: fight with Aeka over who he really loves. He loves us both, in the same way; I realise that now. 

But everything I do, I do for him. He wanted Aeka first, so he can have her. Isn't it easier on him if one of the women is out of the picture?

I don't leave a note when I leave (as many men have done to me), but I kiss him on the forehead. He smiles slightly, and then resumes his sleep. I love you, Tenchi, I whisper. Goodbye.

As I fly away, I know that I will always remember this night. I know that it's best that he stays with Aeka, she'll be a good housewife for him. I know I will always love him, but he'll forget me. I know they'll have adorable little Jurain children. I know I'll miss him like nothing else. Above all, I know I'll always wonder what would happen if we hadn't done that...

I know that he'll probably never tell Aeka about this night, but I _can_ if she ever gets snippy with me in the future. If I ever come back. Who am I kidding? Of course I will...


	2. Ryoko's Return

The Short End of the Stick Chapter 2:

Ryoko's Return

A Fanfic by EmpressGalaxia

None of the ownership. None. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Zero. Beans. Squat. Nil. Null. Cero. Nothing. In case you don't know, I don't own Tenchi Muyo!.

"Akari, stay down," I tell him. He's only ten, but with me as a mother, he should have learned some stealth by now. "We don't want them to see us." _Yet,_ I think silently.

"Sorry, Mom. I'm just trying to see that little girl over there. She looks like me," he replies. He peeks his head out of the trees again to watch the mother sweeping the porch, her spawn dancing and playing around her. I know what little girl he's looking at: she has purple hair and deep brown eyes with the brightest grin imaginable. I run a hand over his short, cropped, teal hair. They look like they could be related. In fact, they are. 

Now how do I tell him that?

"C'mon, Akari, better late than never."

"Mama, why are we here again?" he asks as we both float down from the branches.

"We're visiting an old friend of mine, honey. And an old enemy, in a sense."

The purple-haired woman sweeping the porch sees us approaching and shields her eyes from the sun, trying to get a better look. Her children flock behind her, not used to strangers in this little mountain house. 

When she recognises me, her body visibly stiffens. She relaxes politely. "Ryoko."

She smiles the smug smile of a princess. She won him, but only because the stakes were considerably lowered after I left.

"Aeka."

"How have you been?"

"I've been good. Traveling the galaxy with my boy here," I smile.

For the first time, she takes a good look at Akari. 

She faints when she recognises his eyes.

Her kids flock around her, shooting me dirty looks every now and then. They definitely inherited that from their mommy dearest.

An older boy runs inside and calls for "Dad."

I see him and my breath catches. 

He has only gotten better looking with age. He has small patches of grey at his temples, and small lines stray across his forehead. A thin mustache decorates his lips. I can't even say hello.

He doesn't even look in my direction, but rushes to Aeka. He holds up her head and feels her temperature. He looks at his children, asking, "What happened to Mommy?"

The three of them point to me.

"Ryoko?!"

I am able to form a smile, but I still can't speak.

"Ryoko, what are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you, too, Tenchi."

He picks up Aeka like she's a rag doll. A life in the shrine and at the farm has given him some nice muscles. "Kids, this is Miss Ryoko. Say hello."

They give a nasty "Hi."

He carries his wife inside, flanked by his brood. I follow. Inside, it's cool, the house looking a lot like how I remember it. The couches, the table, everything's perfect. 

He carries Aeka upstairs, I assume to their bedroom. Ha. _Their _bedroom. Never thought about it like that before. But I suppose I should if they have this many kids.

I turn to three precocious little children who wish death upon myself and my son for bringing about this whole event.

"So, what are your names?"

The oldest, a boy with dark hair and violet eyes, replies, "Yosho."

The middle child, a girl who looks exactly like a miniature Aeka, answers, "Sasami."

The youngest, the girl Akari had been so interested in earlier, answers, "Achika."

I smile. "Good to know your mommy and daddy are keeping things in the family."

Achika points at Akari. "What's your little boy's name?" She couldn't be more than five.

I slap my son on the back of his head. "Answer a lady when she asks you a question, boy."

He bows and kisses her hand. "My name is Akari Ginga." The little girl giggles. I taught him how to act in polite society, hoping his father would be proud when they meet.

Ginga is a name I picked up before I left a decade ago. It means "galaxy." That's what I wanted for Akari. Everything in the galaxy.

"Yosho, Sasami, Achika!" Tenchi yells from upstairs. "Come watch your mother and make sure she's okay!" They bolt up the stairs, only Achika waving goodbye.

He comes downstairs and smiles at me. "Hello, Ryoko. Long time, no see."

"Well, you're a sight for sore eyes, I'll say that."

He comes over and gives me a hug.

"That's dangerous, you know. You're even better looking now."

"Oh, stop it." He lets me go and looks at me. "You've hardly aged yourself. But what brings you to Okayama now?"

"You do, Tenchi. I had to come back to see you sometime."

"All right, then tell me what happened to Aeka?"

"She had a fainting spell."

"And what brought on this sudden spell?"

I turn to Akari. "Introduce yourself, kiddo."

He bows. "My name is Akari Ginga. Pleased to meet you."

Tenchi looks at me and smiles, before bowing to Akari. "I'm Tenchi Masaki. Pleased to meet you, too."

Their heads rise up from the bows at the same time and they lock eyes. A tension-filled moment occurs, and then nothing. Tenchi looks like he's scared for his life. Akari looks confused out of his mind.

"Akari, go upstairs with Tenchi's kids and make sure Miss Aeka is okay."

"Okay, Mom!" He bounds upstairs.

"'Mom'?"

"Is it so horrible that I'm a mother?"

"No, it's just that -- you're not someone I expected as the maternal type." He's still getting his bearings from his encounter with Akari. "Ryoko, what was that?"

"You mean 'who was that.'"

"No, I mean what just happened. I feel like there's -- there was some sort of connection there. Why is that?"

"Tenchi, you can be a real idiot sometimes."

"That doesn't explain a thing, Ryoko."

"What did we do the night that I left?"

He laughs bitterly. "Ryoko, I've tried not to think about that night. I feel guilty whenever I do, because I've never told Aeka."

"I think Aeka knows."

"What?! Did you tell her, Ryoko?"

"No. But she took one look at Akari and passed out. She put a few things together."

"What's there to put together? What does Akari have to do with our night together and Aeka's -- oh, no..."

"One of the side effects of sex, Tenchi, is that every now and then reproduction takes place. Whether you view that as a fortunate or unfortunate side effect is up to you."

He falls back onto the couch. "He's mine?"

"Technically, he's ours, and deeper than that, he's mine, considering I've been raising him."

"That's why I felt a connection. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

I sit next to him. "I left for a reason, Tenchi. You had made a choice and I thought I'd leave it at that. I always wanted you to know him, but I didn't know how to approach it. Finally I decided just to be straightforward with it."

"So now what do we do?"

"We do nothing. You're married. Unless," I throw my arms around him, "you want to run away together."

"Ryoko! I'm too old for that, and besides, I've got a family now!"

"Bring along the kids. Just leave Aeka here, it'll be great!"

"Ryoko."

"I know, I know. Can't blame a girl for trying."

He puts his face in his hands. "I just can't believe it. I've got another son."

"Well, I didn't exactly ask for him, and seeing him everyday is torture. He reminds me too much of you, and what could have been."

"Ryoko, I can't stand being drawn into this again."

"Into what?"

"I loved you both once upon a time. But you left. I got over my feelings for you and love only Aeka. You can't come back now and expect me to love you like I did."

He should have just hit me with a sack of bricks. It would have hurt less. "Hey! Who says I still love _you_? I just thought it was common courtesy to let you know that he exists. A briefing on the matter, you know?" Damn you tears, if you start showing, I'll rip out my eyes. "I stopped loving you a long time ago. He doesn't need a father, you know, I take care of him just fine by myself." Dammit, tears. Stop. "And, I'll -- I'll be fine without you, it doesn't matter if looking into his eyes reminds me of you or what we did or my feelings and love for you--"

And the damn fool does what he did ten years ago. 

He kisses me.

I want to say no. This is only going to bring more trouble. This isn't right. This isn't solving anything. This is how we got into this mess.

But instead I kiss back.

He pulls away first and mutters, "Dammit."

"I heard that, Tenchi."

"I heard it, too. And saw it myself."

We turn to the top of the stairs to see Aeka peering down at us.

I teleported to the top of the stairs, grabbed Akari, and disappeared to the back porch. 

"Mom, what's wrong?" he asks, dumbfounded.

I can only answer through tears. "Mommy has done a lot of stupid things in her life, and she just did another."

"Am I still the smartest thing you've done, Mom?"

I smile. "_Having you _was the smartest thing I've done." What I did to bring you into this world was just plain dumb.

I hear Aeka screaming inside. I've heard these words before, but years ago. Demon, monster, whore, vicious, evil. I can't say I blame her; if I had been in her position, I would've killed her by now. But that's the Princess.

I peek inside and see familiar little logs appear around Aeka. She's getting really angry. She's going to attack him!

I hug Akari. "Akari, what has Mom always told you?"

"You love me very much?"

"Yes. Remember that, always. Now," I point inside, "see that nice man in there arguing with Miss Aeka?"

"Yes. Tenchi."

"Tenchi's your daddy."

"I know."

"What?" I hadn't expected this in a million years. "How do you know? Who told you?"

"I just know. When we said hello to each other. I had a connection with him. I know he's my dad."

While we were talking, Aeka's anger continued to visibly grow. Her screaming grew louder. She was going to attack Tenchi, whether she realised it or not. 

"Hey Princess!" I yell, appearing right behind her. "I stole him, and you can only have him back if you catch up with me!" I fly right through the door, and move fast enough to stay away from her, but slow enough that she can keep up. As I suspected, she chases after me. I stop by the lake for a good fight. I haven't had one of these in years.

"Ryoko! I hate you! I hate you with every inch of my body and soul! All you do is hurt everyone in your path, do you know that?"

"Hey, calm down, Princess, maybe you're just too sensitive."

"Too sensitive? I'll show you sensitive!" She throws a blast in my direction, which I fly around and dodge. I throw a spark of energy towards her, but her shield stops it and dissipates it. 

"Hey, Princess, maybe if you weren't so old, you could catch up to me and actually hurt me!" I fly around her, disappearing and reappearing. I'm a bit too cocky in this endeavour, and she lets me know by catching her fist up with my cheek.

I pause to rub my face, and she lands another fist into my stomach. "Why? Why did you have to ruin everything?" Now she's just throwing her fists aimlessly at me, only hitting sometimes. "I thought I really had him. He had chosen me over you, and that's why you left! Why did you have to have him first! Why did you have to come back with that -- that dirty little spawn of yours?! Why did you have to kiss him?! You whore! You beast! I hate you! I hate you!" She stops punching and drops to the ground. At this point I realise the last few statements had been spat out with tears. "I hate you," she sobs. 

I swallow some blood and spit out the tooth she hit. Strong little thing. "Aeka."

"What the hell do you have to say, you monster?"

"You had him first."

She raises her tear-stained face to look at me. I kneel beside her, and she draws back, disgusted. "Aeka, I saw you and Tenchi kiss in the cherry blossom trees. I was going to leave. I was ready to run away. Tenchi told me that he loved us both the same, and he kissed me, too. The only difference was that -- we took it further."

"Do I have to know every detail? Is this supposed to make me feel better, Ryoko?"

"I came back because I thought Tenchi deserved to know about his son."

"Why on Earth would he want to know about your little bastard? How does he even know that's his child? I'm sure you've slept with anything and everything this side of--"

Now it's my turn to hit. I land a good punch on her cheek and say, "If you ever talk about my son that way again, there's no guarantee that I won't try to kill you."

"I should be killing you."

I shrug. "Probably. If I were in your position, I would've killed you by now."

She laughs. "Like you could kill me. I doubt you're powerful enough."

"True. You seem to have gotten stronger these past few years, Princess."

Another laugh. At least she's stopped crying. "That's what happens when a spoiled princess suddenly works a farm and raises children."

I laugh. "Oddly enough, raising a child makes a seasoned space pirate weaker." 

"So how _have _you been raising Akari? Been teaching him how to rob banks?"

"No. He doesn't deserve my life. I've actually gone straight, if you can believe it."

"Hm."

We sit in silence for a while, watching the sun set. A battered princess and a bruised pirate. It must make for a bizarre scene. 

"Ryoko, what are we going to do?"

"Go back to the house before everyone gets worried?"

"You know what I mean. Tenchi won't just let his son slip through his fingers. He's going to want him around."

"And I want him around."

"Well I am most certainly not allowing you to live in our house."

"Who said I want to live there? Maybe I don't want to see you and Tenchi fawning over each other every day. Maybe I don't want to be around him all the time."

"You still care for him, don't you?"

"No."

"And by 'no', you mean 'yes.'"

"Basically."

"Ryoko, I'm sorry it had to turn out this way."

"How are you upset? You're the winner!"

"Tenchi isn't a prize to be won, Ryoko. If you don't know that, then maybe you really don't belong with him."

"Hey, Princess, why would you say 'maybe'?"

"He misses you."

"What?"

"He says your name in his sleep sometimes. Just a whisper, but it's enough to make me still hate you."

"Makes me feel peachy keen, though." We stare at the sky in silence again. "Maybe I'll stay on earth. Then Akari and Tenchi can be near each other and I'll be far enough to be out of your hair."

"Seeing that child will be a constant reminder that you were with him first."

"Seeing you is a constant reminder that you're with him from now until eternity."

"So are we agreed that we still hate each other?"

"Absolutely, Princess." 

We carefully push ourselves up off the ground. 

"Hey, Aeka. Is that nice bath Washu built still around?"

She smiles. "But of course. Right this way."


End file.
